‘I’ve never done anything like this in my life’: Marina Abramović on making art with balloons

Marina Abramović Transforms Balloon Museum with Immersive New Installation

Wanderstayfinder.com – Seventy-nine-year-old performance pioneer Marina Abramović has ventured into uncharted territory with her latest work—a sprawling balloon installation that challenges visitors to slow down and truly engage with art. The piece, titled Snowy/Windy/Spring on Planet Z, now resides at New York’s Balloon Museum, an institution positioning itself as the world’s first permanent home for inflatable art.

Walking through the glowing white gallery space, visitors encounter oversized inflatable blades of grass that graze their faces. Papery squares resembling snow drift through the air, occasionally catching in hair. The winding path creates a sense of infinite journey—what initially appears to be a brief walk through the room transforms into something far more meditative.

A New Challenge for a Veteran Artist

“I’ve never done anything like this in my life,” Abramović told reporters during a Zoom conversation from her Manhattan apartment. “But if you give me an assignment then I’ll try to see what I can do with it.”

Her initial reaction to balloon art was skepticism. “I thought it was so kitschy—basically for kids and games,” she recalled. Yet deeper contemplation revealed unexpected connections to her own artistic practice. “You put air in it, and at some point the air comes out. Or you pinch it and it disappears. The temporality of this is very close to what I’m doing: performance art.”

This philosophical alignment between balloon art and performance art became the foundation for Abramović’s approach. Rather than treating balloons as mere decorative elements, she recognized their inherent quality of presence and absence—qualities central to her decades of live performance work.

The Balloon Museum Takes Root in New York

The Rome-born institution selected New York for its flagship location following the success of a 2023 pop-up exhibition. The museum occupies the hollowed interior of the Tin Building, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful restaurant venture. Where once diners sought upscale meals, visitors now encounter contemporary art.

The inaugural exhibition, Daydream, features fourteen installations from diverse creators. Turner Prize winner Martin Creed contributes alongside Balloon Museum regular Karina Smigla-Bobinski and commercial AV studio Onionlab. Each installation offers a distinct sensory experience, though some resonate more powerfully than others.

Among the most compelling works were those that unsettled rather than simply delighted. Swiss composer Thom Kubli’s Black Hole Horizon features enormous gramophone-style horns that emit resonant sounds while releasing soap bubbles into the air. Dutch artist Boris Acket’s piece invites visitors to lie on a padded floor, watching a fabric wing reveal and conceal their reflection in the mirrored ceiling above.

Creating Space for Presence

While mirrors appear throughout the museum—sometimes giving the impression that installations cater to selfie culture—Abramović’s contribution deliberately avoids reflective surfaces. Instead, she creates an otherworldly atmosphere through sound and movement.

Before entering Planet Z, visitors don wireless noise-canceling headphones. Through them, Abramović’s voice recites exoplanet names in a slow, steady monotone. This personal soundscape transforms the physical journey into something transcendent.

“I’m giving you the work, but you have to give me time. This is the exchange. If you invest yourself into the work, then you have an experience.”

This philosophy echoes Abramović’s work at her institute in Greece, where participants walk through forests backward using hand mirrors. The exercise challenges people to disorient themselves and embrace slowness—a principle she now extends to balloon art.

From Performance to Product

Dressed in red—a color she wears to energize herself—Abramović reflects on her evolving relationship with audiences. “I really love the completely random propositions people give to me,” she says with characteristic warmth.

Over recent years, the artist has expanded beyond traditional art forms. She has collaborated on olive oil, a series of tinctures, and facial lotion. Since 2002, she has produced artistically designed espresso cups for the Italian coffee company Illy. Her influence even reached popular culture through a Jay-Z video inspired by her landmark MoMA retrospective, The Artist Is Present.

The Balloon Museum represents yet another creative challenge. Abramović draws parallels to Renaissance artists who worked under strict patronage. “How many of these crucifixions were made for just a few incredible masterpieces?” she muses. “I like it when a team gives you very strict rules, then you have to make a masterpiece out of them.”

She acknowledges that constraints can produce both success and failure—and that both outcomes hold value. “Sometimes you completely fail, and failure is a very good thing. It’s about courage.”

As Roberto Fantauzzi, the Balloon Museum’s director, envisions the institution’s future, Abramović’s balloon installation stands as proof that even the most established artists can find new inspiration in unexpected forms. The work invites visitors not merely to observe, but to participate in something ephemeral—much like performance art itself, and much like the balloons that hold it together.